White people in London were told to stay away from a play on African American history so that black theatergoers could watch the performance “free from the white gaze.”
The Theatre Royal Stratford East located in East London said only black people were welcome to the “Black Out” performance of the Tambo and Bones play in July.
“While this performance has been arranged for Black audience members specifically, no one is excluded from attending,” a description for the ‘Black Out’ evening on the theatre’s website later explained.
“A Black Out night is the purposeful creation of an environment in which an all-black-identifying audience can experience and discuss an event in the performing arts, film, and cultural spaces – free from the white gaze,” the theatre continued.
From Breitbart:
In comments provided to The Telegraph newspaper, Britain’s first black police and crime commissioner (PCC), Festus Akinbusoye said that excluding people based on race would “poor and dangerous precedent” and therefore “strongly urged” the theatre and director to cancel the ‘Black Out’ event. “Society is richer and stronger when an understanding of each other’s cultures and stories are shared and heard,” the PCC for Bedfordshire said. “However I believe the Black Out concept runs contrary to this education and enrichment ethos.”
